Let's Use Some Stuff Up

It's cool enough to cook with the oven today and tomorrow without it negatively impacting the temperature of my house, but next week is going to be hot, so I'm doing some cooking right now. I have been going through my pantry and have some things I want to use up. Plus snack food is super expensive right now (everything is super expensive right now, but processed foods are worse), so I might as well save a few dollars by making my own. Here is what I'm making:

Granola

Because I have more nuts and dried fruit than I know what to do with (I went with pistachios and craisins this time), plus half a jar of unrefined coconut oil whose days are numbered and a jar of honey that has already started to crystallize. This used up most of my old-fashioned rolled oats, but that's okay. I can get more. [Edited: 5/20/23: Sim said this is the best homemade granola she's ever tasted and tied for first place ever with the granola served at the hotel restaurant where we breakfasted in London. She ate a bunch as a snack when she got home from school yesterday and had two platefuls for breakfast this morning. This will definitely be a repeat recipe.]

Crackers

I have a variety of flours that could go into this, plus dried herbs. And the last time I made crackers, they all got eaten right away. I made this batch with 1 cup AP flour and 2 cups rye flour, and I seasoned them on top with onion & herb Mrs. Dash, sesame seeds, and sea salt. [Edited 5/20/23: These came out fine. We'll eat them. But next time I should use parchment paper because my silicone baking mats don't get hot enough to make the crackers really crispy. And maybe more salt (I used way less than the recipe dictated) and a different herb blend that doesn't have onion or garlic pieces in it because they're a bit bitter. These will be great with vegan snacking cheese though. Especially the cheddar pub cheese one.]

Rye Bread (Bread Machine Recipe)

I have so much rye flour from when we were in a pandemic and I was trying to make sourdough rye bread and I could only buy rye flour in bulk online. I try not to use the oven too much during hot weather because I want to limit how hard I'm making my air conditioner work, but I do have a bread machine that goes from ingredients to baked bread loaf in one little machine that doesn't heat up my house, so I'm going to try this recipe. Not today, but definitely soon. 

Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Because I have more ripe bananas than can comfortably fit in my freezer banana bag at the moment, and these muffins are delicious and freeze really well when there are leftovers.

Hot Cocoa Mix

I don't love this as hot cocoa, but when I use something along the lines of 1 part cocoa mix to 2 parts unsweetened soy milk, and blend it in my blender with about 16 oz of ice, it makes really fantastic frozen hot chocolate. I have some dry milk powder in my pantry that needs to be used up, so it's becoming (a scaled down, small amount of) frozen hot cocoa mix.

All the Frying

I have a package of vegan wonton wrappers on the verge of expiration, so I told Sim I would make the cherry pie wontons she's been ask for since I made them last Thanksgiving and also the vegetarian pepperoni pizza spring rolls from the Delish Loves Disney magazine that she loves so much. Today I remembered I actually need the much larger egg roll wrappers to make the pizza rolls, so that leaves me with a whole bunch more wonton wrappers to use up than I realized and quite a bit more cooking than I had planned on.  Today I'm prepping and frying all day, and the house will undoubtedly smell like fry oil for the rest of the weekend.  A lot of what I make will cool and then go into ziploc bags in the freezer for later.  Here is what I'm making today:

Cherry Pie Wontons

I just bought a large can of cherry pie filling for this rather than make my own this time. I'll make these first because they're the easiest and I don't want to cook them in the oil after the savory stuff with garlic has cooked in it. [Edited 4/13/2022: Canned cherry pie filling is not as flavorful as fresh. I had no idea because I hadn't eaten it in years. I bought a can with basic ingredients like cherries and sugar, but it didn't have that brightness my homemade batch made from sour cherries had. Canned version was blander.]

Cream Cheese and Green Onion Wontons 

Because they are delicious and I already had cream cheese in the fridge.

Potstickers

In case I still have too many wonton wrappers.  I have like 50 that need to be used up today.  I can use any leftover vegetable matter from these to make chilli-garlic noodles next week.

Vegetarian Pepperoni Pizza Spring Rolls (Delish Loves Disney, pg. 12)

If I have too many egg roll wrappers for the amount of filling this makes, I can also make veggie pizza ones with onion, green bell pepper, and cheese because Sameer likes that version even better (neither Sim nor I agree, but they are fine).  I bought an extra bell pepper just in case.

Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Tamari and Chinese Mustard Sauce (Vedge, pg. 83)

I also bought a few bunches of baby bok choy to make this as a vegetable side because the bok choy was there and cheap and I like this dish a lot when I chop and lightly stirfry it instead of bothering to grill (it makes it both easier and more consistently cooked). There will also presumably be some garlicky spinach and green salad to eat too tonight, or something like that.

My Favorite Grilled Cheese

This is based on the grilled cheese sandwich recipe from Woody's Lunchbox at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  I just tweaked it a bit to make it more to my liking.  It tastes to me like very cheesy garlic bread, but in sandwich form.  And it's so rich that it makes me actually want tomato soup with it.

Ingredients

2 slices sourdough bread 

1 oz. cream cheese

1-2 slices mozzarella (depending on size and thickness -- you want a consistent layer of each cheese across the sandwich)

1-2 slices extra sharp cheddar

1-2 tbs garlic mayo (I make this by putting a bunch of garlic in my food processor with some Vegannaise)

Directions

1) Heat a skillet over medium heat.

2) Apply a thin layer of garlic mayo to one side of each slice of bread.  You don't want too much because it can blacken rather than increase the flavor.  Lay one slice on the hot skillet, mayo side down.

3) Layer cream cheese, mozzarella, and cheddar evenly onto the bread.  Top with the remaining slice of bread, mayo side facing out.

4) When the cheese begins to melt, flip the sandwich.  Cook until both sides are browned to your liking and cheese inside is melty. 

More Disney Food I Made

 

 

More recipes from the "Delish Loves Disney" magazine. This was the totchos like they sell at Woody's Lunchbox in Hollywood Studios.  They were okay.  I don't love chili, and I generally find totchos bland anyway, as much as I feel like they should be something I'd love (I love tater tots and I love nachos).  As I recall, the only change I made to the recipe was using a puck of Beyond Meat in place of the meat for the chili.

 

 

 

Lumpia like they sell at Pongu Pongu in the Pandora region of Animal Kingdom.  It's cream cheese and pineapple and sugar inside a spring roll wrapper, fried and rolled in sugar.  I made it today because 1) it's still cool outside, and 2) I had leftover spring roll wrappers and a pot of fry oil from making the pepperoni pizza spring rolls.  The lumpia is okay.  I don't love cheese with pineapple; I'm not sure why because I love both the components.  Sameer said he though it was really good, but he does love cheese with pineapple.  I'll try it again after the other lumpia have chilled in the fridge.  I'm hopeful the insides will taste more like cheesecake when they're cold.

The inside of the lumpia

Copycat Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce

I merged a few different copycat recipes to come up with the one below.  The primary one I worked from was this one from centslessdeals.com.  Now I make superior versions of the quesadillas from Taco Bell at home.  It's a great addition to a weekend "junk food dinner."

Ingredients

1 cup sour cream (I use low-fat because that's what I buy)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tbs chopped mild pickled jalapenos 

2 tbs adobo sauce (from can of chipotles in adobo) or chipotle salsa

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and stir well.  Will keep in sealed container in the refrigerator until the sour cream's best buy date, which is frequently upwards of a month.  This is why I keep this big batch on hand.

Dosa (From Scratch!)

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.  He does not call it "dosa from scratch," but since everyone I know makes dosa from a box mix, I think this name sums it up better.  Now that I'm less incompetent at making pancakes, I'm hoping I can handle this.  If I can, we'll finally be able to have the long sought-after cheddar cheese and onion dosa that no respectable dosa shop will ever make on request.

Ingredients
1/2 cup white urad dal (dhuli urad)
2 cups basmati rice (you can also substitute brown basmati rice to make it whole grain and an earthier flavor and somewhat chewier texture)
2 to 3 tbs vegetable oil, as needed
Salt

Directions

1. Soak the dal and rice in separate bowls in water to cover for 4 to 6 hours, or overnight if you prefer.

2. Turn your oven to its lowest temperature.  Drain the dal and put it in a blender with a tbs or two of water.  Purée it to a smooth consistency, adding as little additional water as necessary, but enough to allow the machine to do its work. Transfer the purée to a large mixing bowl.

3. Drain the rice and add half of it to the blender (there's no need to clean between batches) with about 1/4 cup water. Again, purée (it won't become as smooth as the dal), adding as little additional water as possible. Repeat with the remaining rice. Add the puréed rice to the dal and stir the two together; the resulting mixture should have the texture of a thick pancake batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, turn the oven off, and let the batter ferment overnight in the warmed oven.

4. Heat a large rectangular nonstick or cast-iron griddle over medium heat for a full minute before greasing it with a film of oil. Season the dosa batter with a large pinch of salt and stir to incorporate. Use a measuring cup or a ladle to pour 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan, then use the bottom of the measuring cup to spread the dough across the pan into a large oval shape not much more than 1/8 inch tick; don't worry if the thickness is inconsistent. (It's the same motion a pizza maker would make -- concentric circles with the bottom of the ladle -- to spread tomato sauce thinly and evenly across pizza dough.)

5. Tiny bubbles will form across the surface of the dough, and the bottom will crisp and turn a deep golden brown in 3 to 5 minute. Use a spatula to loosen the edges of the dosa, then roll it onto itself to make a cylinder and remove it from the griddle. Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the griddle as necessary. Serve hot.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I found this recipe for baked sweet potato fries on Instructables.com and everyone in the house loves it.

Ingredients

• one large sweet potato
• sea salt (coarse)
• freshly ground black pepper, chunky
• good quality olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Peel sweet potato (or not), cut off any skinny ends as necessary, cut it in half, and cut it into fries about 1/2 inch thick.  If you've just washed the sweet potato, make sure it is thoroughly dry or it won't brown properly.

3. Drizzle olive oil over fries and mix with your hands so that they are thoroughly but very lightly coated.  Place fries on a baking sheet, spaced so that they aren't on top of each other.  Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.

4. Cook for 15 minutes.  Turn over all the fries (this is easiest to do by hand), and cook for another 10 minutes.  They should be lightly blackened when they're done.  Serve with spicy ketchup, homemade ranch dip (Simran's favorite), or dipping sauce of your choice.

Cheese & Onion Pasties

I might be remembering wrong, but I think the cheese & onion pasties served at Tea & Sympathy had a creamier sort of cheese sauce than straight melted cheese would accomplish.  Since most recipes I've seen just have melted cheese inside, I've devised my own version to more closely resemble the cheese sauce of Welsh rarebit or a good macaroni and cheese recipe.  The short pastry recipe comes from Alton Brown's recipe for Pocket Pies.

Ingredients
for crust:

9 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 2 cups
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 ounces shortening, approximately 6 tablespoons
3/4 cup milk
1 egg mixed with 1 to 2 teaspoons water

for filling:

1 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup diced onion (yellow or white)
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

Directions

1. [Steps 1 & 2 can be done up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated.]  Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add diced onions and sweat until translucent.

2. Whisk together evaporated milk, salt, pepper, and mustard.  Add to pan with butter and onions, add shredded cheese, and stir, continuing to cook over low heat until creamy, about 2 minutes.  Set aside and allow to cool completely.

3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse for a few seconds and then pour into a large mixing bowl.

4. Add the shortening and knead it into the flour with your hands until it is crumbly. Add the milk all at once and mix in with a spatula until it begins to come together. Lightly flour your hands and the countertop and turn the dough out onto the countertop. Knead the dough ball, folding over 10 to 20 times. Using a rolling pin roll the dough to 1/3 to 1/2-inch thickness, then cut into rounds using a 2 1/4-inch ring. Roll each round as thinly as possible or to 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling onto the dough, brush the edges of half of the dough lightly with the egg wash, fold over and seal the edges together with the tines of a fork, dipping it into flour as needed. Gently press down to flatten and evenly distribute the filling. 

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place finished pies onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Vegetable Manchurian (Dry or with Gravy)

I found this recipe for Vegetable Manchurian on Sailu's Kitchen.  There are some very useful photos of the different steps on that site too.

Vegetable Manchurian is a favorite dish of both Sameer's and mine.  They're like spicy meatball appetizers, except instead of meat they're made up of vegetables and fried.  They're delicious, and you can serve them dry on a platter with little toothpicks in them if you're having a get-together, or you can make the accompanying gravy and serve them over a bed of rice, as I plan to do.  They tend to be spicy, but you can adjust the heat to your own liking by adjusting the amount of chiles and things containing chiles.

Ingredients
2 cups finely chopped capsicum, cabbage, carrot, beans and spring onion whites (packed cups)
2 tbs all-purpose flour
2 tbs corn starch
1/2 tbs rice flour
1 tbs ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
1/4 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
warm water as required (less than 1/2 cup is needed)
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
For sauce:
1/4 cup spring onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbs finely minced garlic
1/2 tbs finely minced ginger
2 finely chopped green chillis
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (preferably Kashmiri)
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tbs chilli sauce
2 tsp vinegar
2 tbs tomato sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
salt as required
1 tbs sesame oil
1 1/2 – 2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves OR spring onion greens

Directions

1. Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel.

2. In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cornflour, rice flour, salt, ginger-garlic-green chilli paste, pepper powder, soy sauce, salt and all the finely chopped vegetables. Sprinkle little water to make a thick mixture. Add water little by little and use only as much water as required to form small balls.

3. Carefully place each ball into the hot oil. Do not crowd the vessel. Reduce flame and deep fry the vegetable balls till cooked. Increase the flame towards the end of the cooking process and fry till they turn golden brown. Remove onto absorbent paper and keep aside.

4. Heat oil in a large wok and once the oil is piping hot, add the chopped garlic and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the green chillis and ginger and stir fry on high for a few seconds.

5. Add the whites of spring onions and stir fry on high for 2 minutes, constantly tossing them.

6. Add the vegetable balls and stir fry for another 3 minutes. They should retain their crunch. Reduce to medium heat and add the brown sugar, soya sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and vinegar. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Add 3-4 tbsps of water and cook for 2 minutes.

7. Toss on high flame for 1-2 mts. Turn off heat. Garnish with the chopped spring onion greens and/or coriander leaves. 

For the Gravy:

1. Mix a tbs of corn starch in a little water. Keep aside.

2. After following step 5 above, add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and add the brown sugar, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and vinegar.

3. Add the corn starch water slowly and keep stirring till it takes a thick gravy like consistency. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat.

4. Add the balls to the gravy at the time of serving. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and/or coriander leaves. 

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Sameer and I never go to Red Lobster since we're both vegetarian and the smell of fish disgusts him, but he found a post somewhere on the internet about how great those Cheddar Bay Biscuits are, so we made some at home.  The recipe I use is the one from AllRecipes.com, modified with reviewer suggestions.  They aren't as good once they cool, so I don't recommend making these far in advance.  They're really good hot though.

Ingredients
4 cups baking mix (e.g., Bisquick, or make your own Easy Biscuit Mixture like I do)
3 oz Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1 1/3 cups buttermilk (plain water or watered down yogurt also work in a pinch)
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp chives (dried or fresh chopped -- optional, but I like them and use them when they're on hand)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the baking mix and one half of the garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay Seasoning, and parsley. Then add the cheese and buttermilk. Mix until dough is firm. Using a small scoop, place dough on the prepared pan.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. Combine the melted butter and remaining garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay, parsley, and salt. Brush over baked biscuits immediately upon removing from oven.  Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired.  Best served warm from the oven.

Baked Potato Skins

I think I finally found the recipe I've always used for potato skins on Food.com.  I'm glad I did too because I think the amounts of spices I originally guessed at were way off.  I made some adjustments though since I always inevitably ran out of olive oil mixture when I followed the recipe.

Ingredients
4 large russet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup sour cream (optional)
2 tbs green onions or chives (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork to allow steam to escape, and wrap each in aluminum foil.  Bake the potatoes for 1 hour. Remove the potatoes from the oven, but keep the oven on. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, and let them cool for 10 mins. Scoop out most of the potato flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh against the potato skin (you can save the potato flesh for another use, like mashed potatoes).
3. Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl.  Brush oil mixture evenly onto each of the potato skins (I highly recommend getting a silicone pastry brush for this -- OXO makes a good dishwasher-safe one).  Place on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for 7 minutes. 
4. Remove baking sheet from the oven, flip the potato skins, and brush another layer of oil mixture onto each of them.  Place back in the oven to cook for another 7 minutes.  The skins should be crispy by the time this is done.
5. Remove baking sheet from oven, fill potato skins with cheddar cheese, and put the baking sheet back in the oven for a final 1-3 minutes -- just long enough to melt the cheese.
6. Sprinkle green onions or chives onto potato skins and serve alongside sour cream.  They're also good with ranch dressing.

Nachos (the good way)

Sameer and I have been talking about nachos for a couple of weeks now.  There is a place in New Hampshire near the Mount Washington Hotel called Fabyan's Station where they serve nachos loaded with sour cream, pickled jalapenos, guacamole, and about a brick-worth of melted cheddar.  We ate them every day that we stayed at the Mount Washington about a year and a half ago and have talked about them weirdly often ever since. 

Since neither of us really thought the tabouli sounded too filling and we don't want to try to feed Simran nachos (or watch her watch us eat them with her enormous, hungry eyes), we decided this week to resurrect Junk Food Dinner.  Before Simran was born, we had Junk Food Dinner about once a week, usually on Friday or Saturday, and it generally consisted of cheese-laden foods and/or numerous appetizers (typically alongside some kind of green salad or vegetable so as not to feel ill afterward -- it was still healthier than most restaurant meals).  Tonight we'll have tabouli salad and no-tahini hummus with Simran and then, after she is in bed, we'll eat Fabyan's Station-style nachos followed by Cadbury Cream Eggs, drink soda (another thing we haven't had in months), and watch TV.  This is what Friday nights are for.

Ingredients
8 oz. yellow corn tortilla chips
2 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
16 oz. cheddar or cheddar-based cheese blend, shredded (I'll be using full-fat sharp cheddar and colby jack.)
2 tbs sliced pickled jalapenos (or more or less, based on personal preference -- Sameer and I will probably keep the jar out and keep adding more as we eat)
sour cream
fresh guacamole

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Spread chips out over baking sheet.  Sprinkle cheese over the top.  Top with another layer of tortilla chips and then cheese.

3. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and top with tomatoes and pickled jalapenos (and any other toppings you like).  Serve with sides of sour cream and guacamole.  Also maybe a fork.